Philosophers' Garden
The Philosophers' Garden is on the North West side of Priory Park. It is a quiet area bounded by fence and hedges, and is favoured by small children, their carers and the occasional sun bather.
The Friends secured Ward funds for a totem pole created by Elite Transformations, and it was installed in 2018. It was made from a cedar log donated by Highgate Wood and is called "Shapes of Thought". Mushroom stools with similar carvings were installed in 2021.
A fenced wildlife pond has been installed in the Philosophers’ Garden, and in the pond is a sculpture called The Drop.
The Philosophers' Garden was named after a group of retired gentlemen who, from the 1930s until the 1960s, would meet daily in Priory Park. The Priory Park Philosophers became a social group, entertaining themselves and others, singing, playing cricket and bowls, and also raising money for charity.
Marylin Collins the artist who created “the Drop” for the Friends, as part of Millennium celebrations is also responsible for another piece of local artwork – the spooky “Spriggan” which can be found on the Parkland Walk
https://londonist.com/london/art-and-photography/the-fairy-bodyguard-of-north-london
According to this article (londonist), the inspiration for the Spriggan sculpture may be the same as that which inspired the Stephen King story “Crouch End”